Stories about English from January, 2015
America's Digital Diplomacy in Russia After Michael McFaul
McFaul's commentary spanned both his professional and personal life, and he was not afraid to engage with his online audience, even when that meant fighting a "Twitter war."
The Leading Cause of Death in Developing Countries Might Surprise You
Is it malnutrition and undernutrition? Malaria? Nope. It’s time to pay attention to a startling stealth killer in developing countries around the world.
Hong Kong Police Make Appointments With Occupy Central Activists For Their Arrests
Netizens are not sure what to make of Hong Kong police officers calling Occupy Central Movement protesters - ostensibly as a courtesy - to inform them of their pending arrests.
Indonesia's Pick for Top Cop is a Suspect in a Bribery Scandal
The police chief nominee also made suspicious bank transactions as a police officer, according to the country's anti-corruption agency. Many Indonesians think this makes Budi Gunawan unfit for the job.
One Month on, Pakistanis Pledge to #NeverForget the Horrific Peshawar School Massacre
Campaigners urged overseas Pakistanis to join “not just by sending funds, but by going to Pakistani embassies wherever they live” to send a strong message to the government.
Eight Years After His Death, Turkish-Armenian Hrant Dink Still Cannot Rest in Peace
Eight years ago today ethnic Armenian journalist Hrant Dink was murdered by a nationalist teenager in broad daylight. The rest of the story remains untold.
Asian Cup 2015: Iran Advances After Win Against Qatar
Iran booked its passage to the next round after beating Qatar.
Reports of Forced Religious Conversions Grab Headlines in India
On Christmas day, 59 Christians in Kerala reportedly were "converted" to Hinduism by two Hindu nationalist organizations with ties to the leading BJP party. What happened to religious tolerance?
‘I Am Shuhrat': Tajiks Come to Jailed Lawyer's Defence on Facebook
Shuhrat Qudratov, a Tajik lawyer with a reputation for defending politically endangered clients, has been sentenced to nine years in prison on charges many citizens feel are bogus.
How the Philippines Hid Social Injustice From Pope Francis
Activists, street children, and urban poor residents were some of those who were "hidden" by authorities during the state visit of Pope Francis in the Philippines.
Antarctic Misadventure Sparks Scandal for Russian MPs
When two Duma deputies set off to plant the Russian flag atop the highest mountain in Antartica, they probably did't expect their trip would spark a political scandal.
Civil Liberties vs. Terrorism: What Are We Willing to Give Up?
European Union Interior Ministers are considering measures to combat terrorism in the region, which many have branded as draconian.
Why Hasn't the Baga Massacre Made as Many Headlines as the Charlie Hebdo Attack?
Is it because of Western media's skewed news priorities? The Nigerian government's own tight-lipped response? Local Nigerian media's ineptitude? The answer is all three, argues Nwachukwu Egbunike.
A 16-Year-Old's Death Is Forcing Ethiopia to Confront Its Sexual Violence Problem
Hanna Lalango was 16 years old when she was kidnapped while riding home from school, gang-raped and left severely injured on an Addis Ababa street.
Outspoken ‘Israeli Zionist Arab Muslim’ Teen Emerges from Hiding in the US
"I had to leave Israel...for trying to show the world the real face of regular Arabs and Muslims who're simply sick of their leaders' corruption and unlimited hate..."
‘Africapitalism': Africa's New Way Forward?
Acting on a concept he invented five years ago, a Nigerian economist and philanthropist now says he's ready to invest $100 million in young African entrepreneurs.
Plastic Waste Documentary Brings China's Environmental Crisis Home to Netizens
Chinese have expressed their shock and anger at the lax regulations on plastic waste exposed in "Plastics Kingdom".
Philippines Evicts Small Vendors Ahead of Pope's ‘Mercy and Compassion’ Visit
The Luneta street vendors have protested the eviction notice: "We love the Pope. We will not harm him. We are not terrorists."
Saudi Arabia to Erect a 600 Mile “Great Wall” to Fend off ISIS
Last week, two Saudi guards and a general were killed when ISIS suicide bombers attacked the Suweif border post, 80km from Al Nukhayb, Iraq.
Is Syria Ready for TEDx Damascus With Its Free Thinkers Dead, in Jail or Exile?
Innovation can hardly flourish while innovators like Bassel Safadi remained imprisoned, and when the majority of Syrian free thinkers have been killed, detained or forced to leave the country.
Kremlin-Owned Internet Search Engine Filters Out ‘Charlie Hebdo’ Results
Earlier today, Russian Internet users discovered that Sputnik.ru returns almost no image-search results for “Charlie Hebdo” (in Latin script or Cyrillic), whatever one’s “moderation” settings.